Cry
by Saiyuri-kun
Summary: Jaspearl Highschool AU Pearl has a breakdown and Jasper helps her.


Pearl was kneeled over on the floor struggling with a roll of tape.

"Come on," Jasper groaned in annoyance.

"I-I'm going as fast as I can," she retorted.

The two were currently in the school hallway hanging up large posters for the upcoming school election. And while Pearl was happy to help out, Jasper was less than willing. She'd rather be in class than stuck here with this goody-two-shoes, prim and proper girl.

Pearl finally managed to pull the tape off the roll and started handing out large pieces of it. Reaching over, the larger girl took the tape and fixed it haphazardly on the back of a poster. When there was enough tape, Jasper got up and easily placed it high up onto the wall.

Suddenly, Pearl lost her grip on the tape roll and it dropped the few inches to the ground innocently enough. She inwardly cursed herself for her continuing clumsiness today. It wasn't like she was clumsy all the time. Some days were just kind of off for her. She never knew exactly why she was like this or why it happened. It would occur without any sort of trigger. Her hands would constantly shake, her heart would thump loudly in her ears. She would be dizzy and feel quite overwhelmed at times.

"Hey, does this look straight to you?" Jasper asked.

Pearl wasn't able to lift her head to look. She just knelt there on the ground staring blankly at the roll of tape. Jasper mistook her stillness for a sign of annoyance and she pointedly ignored Pearl.

Pearl was completely disconcerted by the fact that she had no control over herself. This couldn't be happening in front of Jasper of all people! Her hands were now white knuckling her bunched up skirt as her head spun in a confused haze. The disassociation was horrifying for her and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't even concentrate on anything to calm her; everything felt terrifying.

"Hey, Pearl," Jasper said in frustration, "Are you getting up anytime soon? I wanna get this done before lunch. Stop being a baby and ignoring me."

Jasper gave an exasperated groan as she moved around to see Pearl's face. She stopped cold when she saw the other girl's expression. Her eyes were glazed over as she continued to stare at the tape on the floor.

"The hell, Pearl?" she inquired as she placed a hand on the other's shoulder.

Pearl shuddered violently at the touch and her eyes slammed shut as she cringed. She let out a garbled yelp as she tried to vocalize her need to not be touched. Jasper, thankfully, understood as she sat back onto the floor and watched the other, worriedly. All the negative thoughts Jasper had of Pearl flew out the window as she watched the girl going through some sort of mental episode.

Jasper had half a mind to go get help, but the last thing she wanted to do was move from Pearl's side. What if she stopped breathing all of the sudden or something like that? Jasper also thought about yelling for help, but what if that scared Pearl into a worse condition? She found herself becoming upset at the thought of something happening to Pearl. But it was already happening before Jasper's eyes. This normally respectable and modest girl was crumbling into a complete mess before her. She had such a pained face and her body was shivering uncontrollably.

After another a minute, it only seemed to get worse and Jasper could no longer stand by helplessly. She shifted forward onto her knees and moved in close to the girl.

"Pearl," she whispered, "Can you hear me?"

No response.

"Please, tell me what I can do. Stop, please. You're scaring me."

Jasper couldn't take it. She mindlessly wrapped her arms around Pearl and prayed that this wasn't a bad decision. Pearl immediately froze in the hold and gasped out a breath she had been unconsciously holding.

"That's it," Jasper murmured, distraughtly, "Breathe."

Pearl still felt so far away as her breath came out raggedly. She didn't know where she was or who was holding her. She barely comprehended who she was at that moment. Then she felt a warm hand on her back begin to rub in large circles. The repetitive movement made her calm down. Her clamped eyes softened and she blinked them ever so slowly open.

She was met with Jasper's worried face looking her over.

"You okay?" Jasper asked in a strangely sweet tone.

Pearl felt herself become confused again, but it was a different and nonlethal feeling this time.

"W-what happened?" she breathed weakly.

Jasper sighed in relief at the the cognizant question as Pearl began to look around and gather her surroundings.

"You had some kind of…attack," Jasper nervously encountered.

"…Attack," Pearl more stated than questioned as she stared closely at the other's arms that were still slid around her.

Is that what it looked to someone watching her? An…attack? It sounded so violent when put that way. Pearl knew that in the midst of these overwhelming feelings they could feel absolutely awful, but afterwards she would belittle them. She didn't want to face the problem and willed herself to think it would never happen again.

The arms around her tightened and she looked up.

"Are you okay, Pearl?" Jasper questioned, once again relaxing when Pearl seemed to be conscious of her surroundings.

"Y-yes…now, I suppose," Pearl speculated, starting to admit that she did have a problem. If it made this big, fearless girl kneeling before her worry, this had to be something.

Jasper sighed heavily, "Good, good…" she then, bashfully looked away, "I thought you were…gonna die or something."

Her eyes going wide, Pearl gazed at the other in amazement. Jasper had honestly been distressed over her. She had never thought that would happen.

"I'm not going to die, Jasper," she instinctively cooed, trying to calm the other.

They made eye contact as Pearl spoke the other's name and they both blushed at the realization of the utterly sickening sweetness in which they were regarding one another in.

Jasper moved back from her embrace, in embarrassment, at the same time the recently hung poster decided to pull away from the wall. It clattered onto the floor and Pearl jumped in fear, launching herself back into Jasper's arms, who was quick to hold her close.

Pearl forced out a few deep breaths as she came down from the unexpected shock. She felt Jasper stroke along the outlines of her shoulder blades with her two hands and it effectively soothed her. So much so that her eyelids began to feel heavy and her body melted into the other's.

"Pearl?" Jasper asked with concern after a few minutes.

"I'm okay," she answered, sleepily.

"We should probably get you to the nurse's."

"…Okay," Pearl yawned. The nurse's office sounded very nice right now. There would be a bed to fall asleep in.

Jasper moved a hand underneath the other's legs for support as she lifted Pearl up in one swift motion. Gazing up, Pearl bizarrely found herself gushing over Jasper's strength and the thought of being placed down on a bed instead of being in these arms was appalling.

The nurse's office happened to be pretty crowded. It was Friday so Jasper guessed the other students were just trying to get home early. At a quick glance, the two beds in the back already seemed to be occupied with their curtains being closed around them for privacy and Pearl drowsily frowned at this. Her eyes continued to lazily look around the room as she heard Jasper talk to one of the nurses for her.

A thermometer found it's way into Pearl's mouth after she was briefly examined by the nurse. She didn't exactly enjoy being taken care of like she was incapable, but then she looked back up to Jasper, who still wore a worried expression.

"I'll be okay," Pearl stated after Jasper had settled down in a chair while still holding her.

Jasper reached out and brushed Pearl's hair off of her face as she gave a lopsided smile, "I know. You're a really strong person…but don't feel like you can't ask for help."

And at that those words, Pearl felt herself start to cry.


End file.
